PROVIDENCE COUNTY 



COURT-HOUSE. 



188.5. 



tUe. \rovi:i 



/ 

PROVIDENCE COUiNTY COURT HOUJE. 



Report of the Commissioners 



DECORATIOHS AP M 




PRoCEEomas ON THE Legislative Visit 



FEBRUARY 4, 1885. 




.^1 ri ^o jyyg 



PUBLISHED liY OKOKK OF CJKNEKAL ASSEMBLY OK KlIOUE Ibl.AMi 



IM;(»VI 1) KNCK . 
E. L. KItEKMAN .V (11., I'lll.NTKIls T<J TIIK STATE. 
1 H 8 ;■) . 



f<L^ 



Oo, 




STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, 

In Gknkual As.-k.miilv. 

January Skssion, A. 1)., 1885. 
Resolitiox to print two tliousand copies of the report of 
the Commissiouors to decorate the Providence County 
Court House, and of the addresses and [)oeni delivered 
before the (General Assembly relating thereto. 

(Passed February -^6, 1885.) 

Kksolved, That the report of the Comniissioners to 
decorate the Providence County Court House, together 
with the addresses and [)oem delivered l)efore the Gen- 
eral Assenilijy relating tiiereto. be printed, and two 
thousand copies thereof tte i)u!ilishe(l for tiie use of the 
General Assembly. 

A true co|ty. Attest : 

JoSIlLA M. AhOK.MAN, 

Secret a ri/ of State. 



INTRODUCTORY NOTE. 



The ProvuU'iice County Comt House, erectcil umlcr 
the supervision of a couinnssion elected by the General 
Asseml)ly, was <k'(licate(l December 18, 1877. The Coni- 
niissioners deemed it judicious to postpone for a time the 
painting and decorating of the interior walls and ceilings, 
and they were acc<;rdingly left plain and rough. The 
General Asseml)ly, at its January .Session, 1884, author- 
ized the Governor to appoint a commission for the pur- 
pose of contracting for and superintending the painting 
aufl improving the interior of tlie Providence County 
Court House, erecting a second tier of alcoves in the 
State Law Library, and making such other incidental 
improvements as they might deem necessary and proper, 
and appropriated ihe sum of S1'>,(K>0 for the expense 
tiiereof. His LxeeHeucy ( iovernor iJoiiru, on ihe.stiiof 
April. 1^'Sl, ait|)ointed as Commissioners foithe forego- 



6 iMj(>\ii>i;.\('K coiXTV (orirr iiorsi:. 

iiig iJiirpose the Hon. John H. Stiness, Associate Jnstiee 
of the Supreme Court, and one of the Commissioners for 
the ei-eetion of the building, Mr. Alfred Stone, the archi- 
tect of the structure, and the Hon. Edward L. Freeman, 
of the House of Representatives. 

The Commissioners proceeded at once to discharge the 
duty assigned them, and on the 25th of February, 1885, 
submitted the followiiiu report: 



REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS. 



To the Honorable the General Assemhbj^ at its Janvnr;/ 
Session, A. D. ISSo : 

Tilt' iiiidfrsigm'd, Coiniiiissioiiers to i)ainl :viul imi)rove 
the Piovidciiee County Court House, under resolution of 
the General Asseml)ly passed :it the January Session, 
A. I). 1884, respectfully report: 

Immediately after their appointment they endeavored 
to ascertain the cost of work necessary to be done at a 
fixed price, and estimated it :it throe thousand dollars, 
viz.: for new alcoves in Law Lil)rary, ^1,')00; for re- 
finishing wood-work, §1,000 ; for miscellaneous expenses, 
8.0OO, rpon this estimate they ai)propriatc<l the reniain- 
ini; seven thousand dollars foi- the paintinu of the walls 
and advcilist'fl for dcsjoiis wiiosc eos-t should not exceed 
tiiat sum. Several desij^ns were submitted, from which 
the ( Vtinmissioiiers selected those <»f Mr. II. Mduai- H:irt- 



8 im;()Vii)k\("K couxty n^rirr irorsE. 

well, of the city of New York. The work began in Jnly 
last, after the adjournment of the sessions of tlie courts, 
and was comi)leted in November. 

It gives the Commissioners pleasure to state that 
throughout the Iniilding the work was done thoroughly 
and satisfactorily. They sought to obtain a result that 
should be simple, effective, appropriate and durable, and 
believe that the work done has all of these characteris- 
tics. A feature of decoration, hitherto untried in this 
State, if not in New England, was introduced in the 
main hall, by an historical painting upon the wall of the 
stairway. The event selected as the subject of the i)ic- 
ture was the return of Roger Williams with the lirst 
charter of the colony in 1644. That charter was the 
first step in the organization of the settlements into a 
colony. It is, therefore, the foundation of our govern- 
ment as a State. It was the first charter under which a 
purely "civil government" was ever instituted, and it 
organized the first colony in which every inhabitant was 
free to worship Ciod according to the dictates of his own 
conscience, so long as he did not disturl) the i)ublic peace 
and order. It covered the smallest territory of any 
charter in the land, because our fathers were unwilling 
to quarrel with the other New England colonies about 



i;ki'(»K'T of Tin-: roMMissioNi'.us. n 

the land tliey ehiinied by coiiqnost from the Indiuus, 
under a confcdeiatioii t'loni wliicli our settlouieuts were 
exchuk'd, althoutih only thiouuli tlieir services to tlie 
confedenition h:iil such ;i confiuest been rendered jiossi- 
hle. Ill a niagnnninious spnit of conciliation and peace 
this charter was sought only for lands "judged vacant 
on all hands." It was obtained from the Commissioners 
of l';iili:iuifut. not withstanding the fact that Massachu- 
setts had previously secured a somewhat questionable 
grant of the very same territory. Its procurement was 
noteworthy ; its modest}', conspicuous ; its chai-acter 
niiii|iic. Not only was it thought U) be worth}' of com- 
memoration upon these grounds, but, singularly and 
fortunately, it liai)[)ens to be almost the only prominen.t 
(!vent in our early history of which a contem|)oraneous 
descri[)tion ri'iiiains. sutlicient to wairanl an attempt at 
re[)resentation. 

Till' scene has Ikhmi faithfu41y jjortra^'cd by thi' artist, 
Mr. C U. (Irant, of IJoston, who was selectetl by Mr. 
Ilartwell for that purpose. Thus, in part at least, has 
been e:ii'iie<l out the reeonuueudat iuii of tlie ( nnimission- 
ers for the erection of the Imililin'^, in their linal I'epoi't, 
reiterating that (jf tiie architects at its opeuinu, •• that 
the n<ital)le scenes and «ncnts, in which the lii>t(>rv of 



10 PROVIDKNCK CorNTV COrHT HOFSE. 

the State so richly abouiuls, should be eiublazondd on its 
walls aud thus handed down to future generations." 

The apprujjriation under the resolution was $1U,000. 

The expenditures have been as follows : 

Painting, S7,000 00 

New alcoves in Law Library, . . . 1,550 00 

Re-finishing of wood-work, . . . 950 00 

Linoleum for lower corridors, .... 135 00 

Ciu-tains, 90 00 

Closets and shelves 86 00 

Printing and advertising, . . . . 46 69 

Traveling expenses to inspect specimens of 

work, etc., . . . . . , 41 30 

Plans and specifications for work in Law Li- 

'Ji'ary, 

Electric call-bells. .... 
Bi'ass pendents, .... 
Stretching screens, .... 
Tal»let for piclure, .... 
Lal)or, ...... 

Unexpended bnlani-e. 



40 


00 


40 


00 


4 


67 


4 


82 


4 


75 


2 


99 


$9,996 


22 


3 


78 


$10,000 


00 



i;i:i'i>i;r (»i' riii', ('t>.M.Missi(>.\i;i;s. 11 

The vouchers for the alxjve cxptMiditurc's niv in tlu' 
IkukIs of the State Auditor. 

The Connnissioners appreciate tlu' (Mjurtesy of the 
(ieiieral Assembly in acce|)tiiig an invitation to \isit tlie 
Court House and inspect the ini|)rovements, and trust 
that they found tiic work wiiieh lias lieen done worthv of 
their ap[)roval. 

Respectfully submitted, 

John II. Stinkss, 
K. L. Fkkkmax, 
Al,lKKI> Stonk. 



The C'oniniissioneis extended to tiie (leiieral Asseniltlv 
an invitali«jn to visit and inspect the Court House on 
Wednesday, February 1. 188."), at 12.;U) v. m. Tlie in- 
vitation was acce[)ted, an<l the (ieneral Assembly also 
passed the following resolutions : 

Rksoi.L'tions relative to visit of (li'ueral Assembly to 
I'rovidcncc County Court House. 

I I'uHHed .Taiiiiary liO, ISSfi.) 

Rt'fioli'i'il, 'i'hat His Honor .Fufhjc Stiness, the Honorii- 
ble Horatio Kogt-rs. and tlir IveNcnnd Frederic Denison, 
be invited to <lelivcr Ihc addresses which thev h.ive re- 



12 i'i>M»vii)i;\('i': corxTY corirr iioisE. 

eontly delivorod heloro the Historical Society upon the 
historical painting in the Court House, l)efore the Gen- 
eral Asseinl)ly at the Providence County Court House, on 
Wednesday, February 1, 1885, at 12.30 v. m. 

Resolved., That Messrs. James C. Collins, of North 
Proviilenee, John Carter IJrown Woods, of Providence, 
and Arnold L Buidick, of Xewjiort, on the part of the 
House of Representatives ; and Messrs. Edward C. Du- 
bois, of East Providence, and Charles H. Page, of Scit- 
uatc, on tlie part of the Senate, be and they hereby are 
appointed a Committee to extend the above invitation 
and to superintend the ai'i'Mngcments for said occasion. 



On the (lay appoinlcd. His Excellency the (iovernor, 
the members of the (leneral Assembly, State ollicers, 
and other invited guests, inspected the imi>rovements 
made in the Court House, the decorations on the walls 
and the mmal painting representing the Return of Roger 
Williams with the lirst Charter of the Colon}', in 1044, 
and then assenil)led in the main Supreme Court room 
where His Excellency ( Governor IJourn presided over the 
literary exercises of the occasion. After brief appro- 
priate remarks in- introduced as tiie first spcaki'r of the 
day His Honor Judgi' Stiuess. who delivered the follow- 
in ii address : 



ADDRESS OF HON. JOHN H. STINESS. 



THE RF.TIRX OF ROGER WILLIAMS WITH THE FIRST CHARTER 
OF THE COLONY, IX 1644. 

Till-: decade of years that followed the 

InUlldillU' "f Providence pl'eseiits a most ci'it- 
ical and iiil<'rc-l inu |)lia>e in the liistDi'v of 
the colniiy. Within that pei'iod the colony 
was ostahlishe(l ; hut. mure iiiipoi'tant fai", it 
was estaltli-hed upon a pi'iiiciph'. wlncii. 
thonuh nntrie(| ;it the lime. i< now nnixcr- 
sall\' l'ecoL:lli/e(| ;i> the \'ei'y corn(r->1 one of 
social Liovei'nnieiit. It is a |M'i-io<| ihal nia\' 

well excite the pride of eVel'y soli of Kliodc 

Island. an<l its hi'iel* hi-tory slnadd l»e as 
Avideh' known as i> the fad that Koucr W'il- 



14 l'l{nVII)K\("E rOT^XTV COT^iri" ITorSE. 

liams landed hero. Its culmiiuitioii was in 
tlie (n^ent portrayed upon tlic wall. — the re- 
tiiiMi of Koocv AVilliaiiis witli llic first charter 
of till' colony, in ]()44. The settlement of 
Providence was quickly followed l)y gather- 
ings at Portsmouth. Newport and Warwick. 
The territory of Khodc Island was then 
under no grant from the ci'own of Kngland, 
other than the trading fi'anchise held ])y the 
Plymouth Company, and the settlers obtained 
their t(niure of land hy purchase from the 
Indians. Providence, Portsmouth and New- 
port, — the two latter soon uniting, — had each 
a form of voluntary self-constituted govern- 
ment, hut there was nothing to unite the sep- 
arate settlements, save a common interest and 
danger foi* the fnture. and a connnon suffering 
and history in the j)ast. The settlers at War- 
wick denie(l the authority of these govern- 
ments, which, at best, had hut a feeble hold 
upon the people of the other towns. In ad- 



ADDJn-'.SS ol-' .lllMiK STIXKSS. 15 

(lition to tlu'sc c'lcini'iits of weakness was tliat 
ot" insecurity against ever-j)reseiit (lan;j;er from 
Indian wars and incursions, wliich the towns 
Were l>y no means aMe to resist. l)Ut wliieli. 
fortunately, through the inlhience of" W'ih 
liams. they were ahle ahuost \vh<illy to avert. 
In 1().")(). — tlie year aftei" liis hanishment 
fi'om Ahi>saehusetts, — tlie l*e(|Uods, toi'eseo- 
in<T the irrcprcssihle contlict of" the races, re- 
solved upon a war of extei'mination aptinst 
the whites, 'fo this end tliey ma(h' olVers of 
friendship to their ancient enemies, tlie Nar- 
ra<ransetts, and souj^ht their alliance. (V)n- 
neetieut had already felt the power of their 
inereile-s fury, and Massachusetts, in hei' ex- 
ti'emitv. turned t(» the onl\' man who conld 
>tand helweeii her and the Narrai:'aus«'tts, — 
tin- exile from hei- shores, l\o<icr Williams. 
in his own woi'd- : ■■('lyon lettel's i-eceive<l 
from the < JoNt'i'iior and ('ouiieil at i>oston. 
re(pie.-tim: me to u-e my utmo.->t and speed- 



16 PKUVIJ^ENCE COUNTY COURT HOUSE. 

iest endeavors to break and liinder the leagne 
labored for by the Pecjuods against the Mo- 
liegans, and Pequods against the English, 
(excusing the not sending of company and 
supplies. l)y the haste of the l)usiness) the 
Lord helped nic iiiiiiiediately to ]nit my life 
into my haiul, and, scarce acquainting my 
wife, to shi]) myself, all aloiu', in a })Oor canoe, 
and to cut through a stormy wind, with great 
seas, eyery minute in hazard of life, to tlu; 
sachem's house. 

"Three days and nights my business forced 
me to lodge and mix with the bloody Pe- 
quod ambassadors, whose hands and ai'nis, 
methought, wreake(l with the blood of my 
count rvnien. mui'defed and massacred by 
tliem on (Connecticut river, and from whom 
I could not but nigbtly look for their bloody 
knives at my own throat also. 

"When ( !o(l wondi'ousl\- pi-eservecl me. and 
helpi'd me to la'eak to pieces the Pei^uods" 



ADDHESS OK .JllXiK STINKSS. 



1 



negotiation and (Icsiiiii. ami tn make, and 
)ii"<»in<)tc and linisli. l)y many ti'a\t'Is aiul 
cliariit's. tilt' I'jiuli^li It'a.Li'nc with the NaiTa- 
•i'ansctts aiitl Molic^ans against tin- I*c(|nt>ds, 
and that tlic 1-Ji,ulish foi'ccs marched np to 
the Narrauansett conntry aLiain>t the I'e- 
<|nod-. I uladly entertaiiie<h at my honse in 
I'l'ovidenee. the (ieneral Ston^htoii and his 
officers, and nse(l my ntmost eai'e tlial all his 
officers an<l soldiers shonid he well accommo- 
dated with ns. 

"1 marched npwith them to tlie Xnri-auan- 
sett sachems, and hi'onuhl m\' <-oniitrymen 
and the hnrliarians. sachems and ca|ilaiiis. to 
a mntnal coididence and coiii|)|;icence, eaeli 
in ot hei'."" ' 

The war came. The I'etpHxl race and jtowei' 



' Letter lo Maj. .Mason, June 2'i, KiTO. 
Knowles's Memoir of Hoj,nT Williams, p. ;{!»;{. 
H. I. Col. Hec. I., 4r>7. 
Muss. Hist. Coll., 1st Series Vol. I, i». 'JTo. 

3 



IS 



PROVIDKXCK COrXTV CorHT HOUSE. 



were utU'rly dcstroyrd and Massachust'tts was 
saved. Still, after this siiiiial service, the 
sentence of l)anis]iiii('id was left unrepealed.^ 
Nav, more; on either hand, Massachusetts 
and (N)nnecticut wei"e looking- witli envious 
eyes on (he fair fields that lay hetween them, 
and the foniiei- may have felt a touch of cha- 
grin that, notwithstandin;Li' all her efforts, the 
"heretical colony'' should lie upon her hor- 
der. ( )n various pi'etexts she sought to claim 
jui'isdiction over the settlers and their lands 
at Shawomet," even sending an armed force 
to take them to lioston, whci-e they were 
tried for heresy.^ At length the four colonies 
of IMvmouth, Massachusetts, ('onnecticut and 
New lla\"en foi-med a league for mutual de- 
fence, under the name of the "United Colo- 
nies of New Kngland.""* The Rhode Island 

1 LcIUt lo IVFaj. ^Mason. 

- Arnold's History of Rliodc Islaud, Vol. 1, pp. 177-189. 

•' Records of Mass., Vol. 2, p. ol. 

* Hazard's Hist. Coll. 11. , p. 2. 



.\iii»im:ss oi' .iriMii'. stim:ss. 



•) 



scttlciiifiils wen- iKit iiiclii(lc<l ill ilii> coiit'cil- 

cl'atioll. W'llrll \Vc rr;\i\ ill llir | )l'c;l 1 1 1 1 )lc 1o 
tllc AlliclfS lli;lt <illc rcMSOll fof the !( )ri I l;l I iol I 

<>t" the K'li^iU' was ■• t lial as in iiatinn and rdiu- 
ion, so in oilier rcsjiccls we may Kc ainl cmh- 
tiniU' one." We <lo not ncccl to ,l:(» t'ui'tlicr to 
sec that tlic cxclnsion of IJlioiIc Island was 
I't'alK' npoii tllc uroniid of difli-i'dicc in re- 
ligious docti'iiic. It could ii<»t lia\(' \K'vn 
lu'causc tllc IJliodc Island nicn wci'c more 
indixidua! dweller- in a wildenios. witliout 
a cliailer. and tlicrctoi'c not entitlc<l to lie 
recou'iii/.i'd as a uovei'nnicnt . tor ( 'oiiiicct i(Mit 
wa- in the same pliiLlit and did not reccixc 
a charier until ahoiit twenty yeai-< latci". It 

could not lia\"c heell l»ecau>e the\' Wefc witll- 

in the tei'i-itor\- of the riyniiMith ('Minpany. 
tli<iUL:li at I uie 1 inie -well ;i pretext was liiaile. 
joi' the ( '•aincct iciil -ct I leinents were within 
the lino of the -aine urant.' Neilliei- eonM 



' llii/'.-inl- Ili-I. (nil. II , |.. !l!». 



20 PROVTDKXCE CorXTY COrRT TTOT'SE. 

it liavc Ikh'Ii on account of tlicir weakness in 
arms, loi- all were weak and the alliance was 
upon this express reason; noi' because of their 
isolation, like those in Maine for instance, for 
Iihode Island lay in the ])athway between the 
colonies. The peoj)le of Connecticut were in 
accord with those of Massachusetts in ndiu'- 
ious matters, while the people of Ivhode Isl- 
and were not. Aside from the sentences of 
banishment which ha<l l)een ])assed upon in- 
dividuals at I*i'ovidenee and A(|uidneck, the 
attitude of Massachusetts towards the orpin- 
ized settlements at these places was shown in 
1(340, when ^Fr. ( 'oddin^ton and Mr. Jh'enton 
had joined with others from Connecticut in 
a letter to the ( iovernor of ^Massachusetts, 
about the policy to l)e pursue(l towards the 
Indians.^ The (Jeneral Coui't voted that the 
(jovernor rei)ly to the letter, " onely exclud- 
ing Mr. Coddington A' ^Ir. J>renton, as men 

' "Wintlirop's History of New I^nglancl, II., p. 24. 



ADPUKSS or .niH!K STINKSS. L' I 

not to 1)(' capitulMtc*! w"' nil liy us. citlici' toi* 

tllcliisclvcs or tllf people ol' tile ilillld wlitTc 
tlu'V iiili:il>ite ;i> tlieir ease staixlet li."'^ 

Tills alliaiiee. and tlieii' e\eln--ion tVom it. 
sc'cni to lia\'e ai'oused the Kliode Island men 
to tile necessity ot" enei'Lictie action. As early 
as ir»;','.). Nicliolas J^a>ton and John ( 'larke 
had heeii appointe(l a eonnnittee hy J*ort<- 
nionth and Newpoi't to wi'ite to Sir Ijeiiry 
\'ane tor a charter.'- hut they had not sne- 
(•('('(led in ohtainin^- one. l*i'o\iileiice and 
till' island towns now eai'iiestly conil>ine(|. 
and Kou'er Williams was selected to iio to 
I-jii:laiid on ihi- impoiiant mission. '' Iuik'I'- 
iii;: hi- >ei'\ice< in pi'ex'eiitin^' the alliance of 
the l*e(piods and .\an'au'ansett<. and loi'Lictrnl 
of ohliiiat ion for hi- mauiianimily in the time 
of liei' ino-t pre»iii,L:' need, .Massachusetts de- 



' Ueconls of .Miissarluiselts, Vnl. 1. p. :}(».■). 
•-• H. 1. f(.l. Itcconls. Vol. 1, !>. '.M. 
' 1{. I. Col. Hcconls Vol. 1, p. 1-Jl. 



22 PKovi i)i:.\('K ("orxTv coiiv-r iiorsE. 

iiIcmI liiiii tlic scant courtesy of j)cnuission to 
enter her teiTitoiy to take passage in a vessel 
fVoni her ports. lie was therefore ohli^ed to 
make tlie lon,<;' and wearisome journey to New 
York, where, in the sunnnei- of KU.'), he em- 
l)arke(l for Kn^Iand in one of tlie vessels of 
the Dutch.^ ( )n tlie voyaiic lie " (h'ew tluMua- 
terials" of his i\ey to the Indian language," 
which before the vnd of the year was pub- 
lished in London. 

The enil)arrassments of his mission were 
many. England was then distracted l)y the 
contest between King ( 'hai'les and the l*ai'- 
lianieiit ; the people of this colony were few 
and feeble; tlieii' controversies Avith their 
neighbors seemed insignificant on the other 
side of the ocean, in the midst of more ab- 

1 Arnold's History of Khoilc Island, Vol. 1, p. 11:5. 
Letter to Mass., Oct. 5, 1G.")4. Publications of ^'arragansctt 
Chil), Vol. 6, p. 273. 

- Key into tlie Languai^c of America, Coll. ]^ 1. Hist. Society, 
Vol. 1, p. 17. 



ADPTJFSS OK .ITTxiK STT\F.SS. 



oo 



s()i-l)iiiu iimttfis: Mini inure lli;iii nil lliis. M;i<- 
sacluisctls, witli lie)- ui-catcr prcsl iiic sonLiJit 
:iinl actually < il»laiiic<l a |iatciit coN-ci'iiii: tlic 
tcn-iloi-y (»!' Kliodc l-laii<l.' Tlic cliai'actri- 
aixl aliilily of a man ai'c hot seen in lliat 
wliicli lie acc<)ni|)li>li('s. X'icwrd in this li^lit 
IJnuci' Williams was a man of n<> .-mail rom- 
|»a->. hni'inLi' liis >lay in London lie pnli- 
li>lic<l tlii'cc woi'ks. wlncji wcri' well i-ccci\cd. 
< h\*' was t lie uni(|n(' and lal>oi'i(»u< rlncidat ion 
ofljic Inilian lanuna^c. ali'rady mfnti(»ncd; 
ono iX letter in ivply to M f. ('(ttton's letter 
aliout liis l>ani-liment . and tlie ihird a con- 
ti-o\-eiv-ial treatise, aftei' the style of the dis- 
putations of the time, in which he hrouuht 

out hi> theol'V of lilie|'t\' of eo] iseiellce.- lie 
Iteeaine llie iVieud aud \i-itoi- of Milton aU'l 

of" Sir llaiTy \ane: he >eeU|-e(| the ehailel" 

that iiesouiilit. not wit h-tandiiii:- the |>re\ious 



' Alliolfl's Jlisloiv <>| |{. 1., \()1. I, p. IIN. 

- Klton's Life of l{u;,'cr Williams, Chap. X. 



24 PROVIDENCE COUXTY COURT HOUSE. 

grant to Massachusetts; but more than this, 
he ol)taino(l the charter of a colony. ]\rassa- 
eluisetts had only a eliartei' for a trading 
company, witli tlie incidental ])o\ver to make 
such I'ules and organization as might be nec- 
essary for its purposes.^ It did not contem- 
plate an estal)lished teri'itoi'ial government. 
Williams's charter gave to the people, as a 
colony, the full grant of absolute authority 
within its bounds, only re(|uiring conformity 
to English law, "so far as the nature and 
constitution of the ])lace will admit." Here 
was a marked difference between this charter 
and that of Massachusetts or any that had 
precede<l it. Conformable, also, as might be 
expected, to the original agreement of the 
settlers of Providi'nce," it was a charter 
simply for ''cicll government." 

1 Cliarlors uiul CousUliitions com])ile(I by Ben: I'erlov Poorc, 
Vol. 1, p. 932. 

'^ R. I. Col. Roc, Vol. 1, p. 14. 



Ai>i»i;i:ss OF .irixiK si'ixkss. 2o 

Xo actinii was taken uiidci' llic .Massaclm- 
setts Lii-ant until Auuu-^t 27. KVl."), when this 
I'finarkahic h'ttt-i' was sent to Williams: 

'• Sir. wc lec-L'ivi'd lalt-ly out of Kiiy,l;iii(l ;i diaitcr from 
tlK' autliority of tlu- Iligli Court of rarliauu'iit. hraring 
date 10 December. If,].), wliereliy tlu' Xarragansetl Hay, 
and a certain tract of land wherein Providence and the 
Island of Aquetneck are inchided, which we thonght fit 
to give yon and other of onr conntrymen in those parts 
notice of, that you may forltear to exercise any jurisdii-- 
tion therein, otherwise to appear at our next General 
Court, to be holden on the first fourtli day of the eighth 
month, to show by what right you chiim any such juris- 
dicti<»u. for wiiii-h purpose yourself and others, your 
neiglibors, shall have free lil)erty to come, stay and so- 
journ, as the oecasi(jn of tiie said business may require. 

Dated at Ijoston. in the Massachusetts 27"' ('> mo., 
lf>45. 

To Mr. IJ(ii:rr Williams, of Providence. By ordt'r of 
the Council. 

In< KLA.si; Now 1,1,1,, .Secretary."' 

• l{. I. Col. Rcc, Vol. I, p. i:'.:'.. i{i<.,nls of Massacliuselts. 
Vol. :i, p. 4U. 

4 



20 riJCA'lDEXCE COUNTY COURT HOUSE. 

Witli rofcrciu'c to tliis matter, in his letter 
to Major Afasoii. in loyo. Williams wi-ote:^ 

•'Some time after the Pe.,uo(l war, and our charter 
from the Parliament, the o-oyemnient of Massaclmsetts 
wrote to myself (then eliief otlleer in this colony) of their 
receiving of a patent from the Parliament for these va- 
cant lands, as an addition to the Massachusetts, &c., 
and thereupon recpiiring me to exercise no more author- 
ity, &c., for they wrote, their charter was granted some 
weeks before ours. I returned what I believed righteous 
and weighty to the hands of my true friend, Mr. AVin- 
throi), the first mover of my coming into these parts, and 
to that answer of mine I never received the least reply ; 
only it is cei'tain, that at Mr. Gorton's complaint against 
the Massachusetts, the Lord High Admiral, President, 
said oi)enly, in a full meeting of the Commissioners, that 
he knew no other charter for these parts than what Mr. 
Williams had obtained, and he was sure that charter, 
which tht> Massachusetts Englishmen pretended, had 
never passed the table." 

Accordiiio- to Ai-iiol(l. however, whose re- 
searches ill the Ih-itish State i^aperOHiecgave 
1 Kuowles's Memoir, p. ;jy;j. 



ADDRESS OF .TI'D(;E STIXFSS. '2' 



(»l>|i(»rtunity t<>i- iiulliciitic iiilni'iiuit ion. llic 
cliartci' \v;is not only :ictu;illy olitaiiicd Inii 
(lcsci'il)t'(l ill prcciM'ly tlic sniiic lanL^iiau'c tlio 
l)onnilari('s named in our cliartcr. ui\'iiiu' as 
r('ason> loi' tlic annexation to Ma>saelin>et t<. 
■"its rapid Lirowtli rei|uiriim an expansion of 
its teriMtory ami the desire to elu'istianise the 
nati\'es."" No reference to thi< charter i< 
made hy the earl\' writers of .Mas>aclni-etts. 
and We ai'e left to wonder why. after ohtain- 
inu it. that colony made ii<» attempt to eiifoi-ce 

it. except hy the letter ju-t 



iided to. writ- 



ird>. < lo\eriior 
I reservation in 



ten a year and a half aflerw 

Ai'nold think'- t hi- i- due t( > 

the .Massachusetts patent of all land> "in 

pi'eseiit possession held and eiijoxcd h\- anv 

ot" lli> .Maje>ty"> i'rote-tant >uhjects." while 

the chaiiei- of William- had no -udi i'eser\a- 

lion.' J>ut we liave seen that this reserva- 



' AriK.l.l^ U\-\. n I.. Vol. 1. j.. lis. 



2^ PKOVIDKXPK f'ol^NTV TOURT HOUSE. 

tion (]i(l not pivvcnt Massacliiisotts from 
asserting a c-Jaim to this land in jc.ir). Tlic 
antlioritics of Massacliusctts did n,,t tlirn rec- 
ognize the claim of our settlers to tliis terri- 
tory nor hesitate to assert tlieii- own. 
^ I venture to suggest tJ.at at least an addi- 
tional reason may b(^ found in the ditferent 
character of tlie two ciiarters. That of Mas- 
sachusetts was a grant to a trading company; 
that of Rhode Island to a colony estahlisliing 
a local civil govermncjit. The fornuT was 
onginally for limited j)uriJOses, which grad- 
ually and perhaps insensibly, expaiided'^-nto 
something more permanent and important; 
t'x' ''•tier was ior the full a n.l five exercise of 
civil authority, which, in vi.^w of the friend- 
ships Williams had formed in England, it 
was n(,t deemed prudent to attack. What- 
ever the r.'ason may have been, the fact 
'•*'"'<'i"s that, imtwithstanding its charter, 
^'"te-dating ours, tlir .-oh.ny of .Massaclm- 



\TM>KKSS OV .TrncF. STTXKSS. 



20 



setts iK'Vci" \ciit iircil uiidci' it ;i single act of" 
(Iniiiiiiion (»r iiilci'lci-riict' witliin oiii- tcri-il(»r\'. 
l"'<»i' many years Massaeliiisetts (lis|»iile(l our 

title to tlie towns (»ii tile east shore (tf the 
hay. hut that ehiini was niaile uiwlei' the oi'iu- 
iiial grant, not under the charter of I )eceiuhei-, 
]r)43. and it wa> atterwai'ds deci(le(l ad\i'i'sel\- 
hy coinnii--ionei's of the l\iiiu.' 

The sinalhiess of the leri'itoi'\' of Khode 
I>han<l has otten l)een the suhject of sui'prise 
and conmient. With 1 he apparent inlhience 
which WiMiams had ac«|nired in I-Jiuhnxl 
with tho-e who Wel'e iheU ill powe)- aiid his 
succe>> in olttaiiniiu' ><» IV<'<' a chai'lei'. there 
can 1m' litth- doulit that he couhl haxc coni- 
|»a--ed a lai'iief ui-ant <if hind, had h<'de>ire(l 
to do -o. I']u]"<»peaii i<li'a> of the ucouraphx' 

of thi> colintl'N" Wel'e Hot Vefy exact ill t ho>e 

(lavs and chai-tei' Itoundaries were h\- no 



' AiiiuM. Vol -i, i.|. 11 1 i:!'.', i:w. 



Hi) 



PROVTDEXr'E r-OTTNTY COTTRT HOUSE. 



means o-riulgingly drawn. Tlw chai-tor to 
the IMyiuouth ( "ompany. foi- instance, ran 
from 40° to 4S° ,„,rt]i latitude, and from 
sea to sea.^ Within llu-sc lines, tlie o-raiit 
to tlic Massachusetts JJay ( V)nipany extended 
IVoiu tlirec^ miles Jiortliward of any and every 
part of the Merrimack River to tliree miles 
southward (,f any and every ])art of the 
diaries Uiver, and of the southermost i)art 
of Massachusetts Bay, "from the Atlanticdc 
and Westerne Sea and Ocean on the East 
I*arte to the South Sea on the M'est l*arte." 
Xotwithslandin- this somewhat ample urant 
for a population of a few hundi-ed people, we 
liave seen that the .Ahissachusetts authorities 
sou-ht to add the littl.- tract of Rhode Island 
on account of her '"rapid -rowth recpiirino- 
expansi«.n." Not only could Williauis, easily, 
J'o <loul)t. had he chosen to do so, have taken 

' CiKirtcrs and Coiistitutioiis. Ynl. J, p. i»oi. 



Ai>i>]n:ss (»F .irixjK srixEss. 31 

aih'aiitau'c of the iu'iioraiicc al»<>ii( the topo^- 
rapliy <>t"tliis region: yd cx-cii liad lie cii- 

il('a\'(>l"('(l to clicl'oacll U]toli some pl-cNJollS 

_i;raiit. we may liclicNc that rai'liainnil \\(»iil(| 
not lia\'(' tell iinidi liaiiipci'cd 1)\' the patents 
of a kinu tlicii a t'li^it i\<' tVoin llicii- power. 
l)Ut with no (h'sirc to ('nci'oa<-h upon his 
nciuhhors. he was content to take our l»ouii(l- 
ary fVoni those which had ahvady heeii eslali- 
Ii>he<l I'oi' Massachusetts and IMxniout li. on 
the north and east. To the westward he had 
a wi<lei' scope. The town< in the ( 'oiniect iiait 
\'alle\' ha<l l)eeii ^e1tle(| uudd'a coMinnssioii 
tVoni the (ieliel'al ( 'oui1 of .M a>sach usetts, 
"that c()niiin"ssion takini: I'ise IVoni lhe<lesire 
of the peoph- thai ivnio\ed. who judiied it 
incon\'einent to ^o awa\' withoul any frame 
of i^-oxcrnment — not fi-oni any claim of llie 
.^hr--achu-el t.- of juri-didion o\'er ihem liy 
vii'tne of I'atenl."' The town- of Windsor, 

' Cliarlur.s aiul Cuusliluliun.s, Vul. 1, |). '2VJ. 



32 PROVIDENCE COUNTY (X)URT HOUSE. 

Hartford and Wcatlicrsfield, tliii.s niiited un- 
der a voluntary constitution, witliout charter 
or grant from King or Parliament. 8urelv, 
up to those towns, if not including them, 
Williams might easily have carried his line. 
But the United (^)lonies, after the war against 
the Pequods, claimed the Pequods' country 
hy the right of conquest. They had vaii- 
quished and exterminated the trihe. Sniw 
were left to dispute the api)r()priation of their 
fields and streams ],y the (\)nnecticut settlers, 
'I'l'J uiiinolcsted and unohstructed these were 
gradually sj)r(.ading over the lands of their 
fallen foe. 

Williams was as unwilling to encroach 
upon Ids neighhors on the west as oji the 
cast. He knew how far lh<' charter l.oun.l- 
'H-iC'^ exten.le<I and how far tlu' Colonics 
could claim to hold ],y con.picst. Hv there- 
f'»'>" 'I'-cw what he terms -on,- poor and in- 
cousiderahle line" I.etween them. This Ls 



AHPRKSS OK .TriXJK STINKSS. 38 

urMpIiically set tnrtli in lii> K-ttcr to Major 
.Ma-i»ii. ill wliidi lie <ays : 

•• Considoiiiig (upon freciuont excoptiuiis agsiiust Prov- 
idence meu) that we bad uo tuitlioiity for eivil govern- 
ment, I went purposely to P^nglaud, and upon my rejjort 
and petition, tlir I'ailiaiiiciit Liraiitcd us a cliaiter of gov- 
ernuK'nt for these parts, so judgetl vacant on all hands. 
AikI ui)on this, the country about us was more friendly, 
ami wrote to us, and treated us as an authorized colony ; 
only till' difference of our consciences much obstructed. 
The bounds of this, our first charter, I (having occular 
knowledge of persons, places and transactions), did hon- 
estly and conscientiously, as in the holy presence of God, 
draw up fiom I'awcatuck river, which I then believed, 
and still do. is free from all Knglish claims and con- 
fpiests ; for although there were some Pecjuods on this 
side the river, who, by reason of some sachems' mar- 
riages with some on this side, lived in a kind of neutral- 
ity with Itotli sides, yet, upon t!i«' bieaking out of the 
war, they relincpiished their land to the possessi<jn i>( 
their enemies, the Narragansetts and Niauticks. and their 
laud never came into the condition of tiie lands on tlir 
other side, wiiiiii the ICnglish, by concpiest, challenged; 



34 PROVIDP^XrE COrXTY (XH'RT HOUSE. 

SO that I must still allinn, as iu God's holy presence I 
tenderly waived to touch a foot of land in which I knew 
the Pequod wars were maintained and were properly Pe- 
quod, being a gallant country ; and from Fawcatuck 
river hithcrward, l)eing but a patch of ground, full of 
troublesome inhabitants, I did, as 1 judged, inoffensively, 
draw our poor and inconsiderable line." 

Havinu' ;i('(*()iiii)lislied his mission, Williams 
ivtunu'd l)y tlie way of Boston, wheiv lie ar- 
rived Septeml)er 17, 1644, venturing to lainl 
under sliield of a. letter wliieli he brou^lit 
from members (^f Parliament to the authori- 
ties of Massachusetts, announeing that he was 
the bearer of a charter and bespeaking their 
"utmost endeavors of nearer closing and of 
r('a<ly expressing those good atf'ections (which 
we i)erceive 3'ou bear to each other) in effect- 
ual performance of all friendly offices.''^ He 
was permitted to pass through their territory 
unmolested; but the only knowledge we have 

1 Winthrop's History of New England, Vol, *?, p, 236. 



ADDRESS OF JUDGE STINESS, 35 

of any other effect of the letter is the state- 
ment of Hubbard, who says •} 

" Upon the receipt of the said letter, the Governor 
and magistrates of the Massachusetts found, upon ex- 
amination of their hearts, they saw no reason to con- 
demn themselves for any former proceedings against Mr. 
Williams ; but for any offices of Christian love, and 
duties of humanity, they were very willing to maintain 
a mutual correspondency with him. But as to his dan- 
gerous principles of separation, unless he can be brought 
to lay them down, they see no reason why to concede to 
him, or any so persuaded, free liberty of ingress and 
egress, lest any of their people should be drawn awa}' 
with liis erroneous opinions." 

The determination to have none among 
them who did not assent to their reHgious 
doctrines is further shown by an act of the 
Massachusetts General Court, passed in No- 
vember, 1644. 

The preamble recited that ''experience had 

1 Coll. Mass. Hist. Soc'y, 3d Series, Vol. 6, p. 349. 



oC) I'RoviDKXcK rorxTV rorirr norsK. 

plentifully ])r()V('(l " tliat Aiial)aj)tists liad 
been "the incciidiarics of coninioii wealths'' 
and "troul)lers of churehes;" "that they 
who have held tlic Itaptizinu" of infants un- 
lawful liavc usually held otluT errors"" and 
that some had denied " the lawfulness of 
magistrates and their inspection into l)rea('hes 
of the Hrst tahlc. which opinions, if they 
shoidd he connived at hy us, are like to l)e 
increased anionust us and so must necessa- 
rily hrini;- liuilt ui)on us, infection and trou- 
ble to tlie churehes and hazard to the whole 
connnon wealth,'' therefore it was vote(l that 
evci'V pci'son who should })ut forth such 
opinions should he "sentenced to banish- 
ment."^ 

IM'ohably by the same path he had followed 
eiiiht years befoi'c. tiiou^h doubtless with (piite 
diU'ei'ent emotions. Williams wended his way 

' Urconis of iMiissiicliusctts. Vol. II. p. 85. 



ADDRESS OP JUDGE STINESS. 4 i 

to tlio banks of the Seekoiik. By some moans 
tlic news of his coming preceded him and the 
inlial>itants of Providence, to testif}'' their joy 
at his return and tlieir sense of obligation for 
his service, turned out to meet him at tlie 
Seekonk sliore, and to escort liim liome. It 
was a plain and sim})h' pageant, but it was 
the first one l)y tlie people of tlie town. It 
marked as an epoch in tlieir history the first 
step in tlie organization of the colony as an 
indepinident government. The greatness of 
an event is not to be measured by its pomp. 
What this one lacked in si)lendor was more 
than compensated by its genuine and homely 
sincerity. The only description we have of 
the scene is that contained in a letter which 
was afterwards written by Richard Scott, in 
detraction of Williams, to whom he had be- 
come hostile.^ Scott says: 

^ Appendix to "A New England Fire-Brand Qnenohed, by 
George Fox and John Bornj-eat, London, 1678." 



3(S PKOVIDKXCK r-OTTXTY COURT HOUSE. 

" lie went to England and tkeie he got a charter, and 
coming from Boston to Providence, at Sea-conck the 
neighbours of Providence met him in fourteen cannoes 
and carried him to Providence. And tlie man being 
hemmed in in the middle of the cannoes was so elevated 
and transported out of himself that I was condemned in 
myself that amongst the I'est I had been an instrument 
to set him up in his [)ri(le and folly." 

]\Ir. Rider roniarks con corn inu' tliis letter:^ 

"It is suggestive of rellection that this Scott letter, so 
severely condemnatory of the very act wliich has been 
here perpetuated, is our only means of learning the de- 
tails by which the preservation of the event was pos- 
sible." 

It is highly i)rol)al)lc tliat, from sonic of 
the Dutcli or Kniilish vessels which had heen 
licre ht'tore tlial time, or from the handiwork 
of some of the people, the community had a 
boat: althouuh no mention is made of sucli 

1 Book Notes, Oct. 25, 1884, Vol. 2. p. 14. 



ADDRESS OF JUDGE STINE8S. 89 

a fact. The freqiu'iit trips to Newport and 
Narragaiisett, with the necessary transporta- 
tion of men and nicn-cliandise, together with 
the fact tliat EngHslimen were little accus- 
tomed to the use of Indian canoos, at least 
suggest that they would not be long in provid- 
ing, something more substantial than these. — 
In a letter written in 1082, referring to the 
gi'aiit of lands by Canonicus, Williams says : 
"I never denied him, or ^liantonomoh, what- 
ever they desired of me, as to goods or gifts, 
or use of my boats or pinnace."^ If the peo- 
ple had a boat, certainly Williams would be 
received in it ; and in it too, the first to greet 
him after his long absence, would, naturally, 
be his wife and children, including the babe 
born after his departure, whom, longing to 
behold, he would now see for the first time. 
This babe, born in December, 1643,^ was the 

1 R. I. Col. Bee, Vol. 1, p. 25. 

2 Records of Births, Providence, Book 5, p. 129. 



40 I'KOVIDKXCE COUNTY COURT HOUSE. 

Joseph Williams whosu remains were buried 
in the family ])ii rial-ground at Roger Wil- 
liams park, where his grave-stone now stands. 

iSueli is the scene which is portrayed in 
the picture in this building. (,)f course, the 
''hemming in" l^y fourteen canoes could not 
be actually represented without throwing 
Williams, the central object, into the back- 
ground. The canoes on one side therefore 
appear, with a suggestion of others surround- 
ing by the prows which are shown in tlu^ 
lower corner of the ])icture. The charter is 
supposed to have Ijeen enclosed in a round 
tin box, because sea-captains were accustomed 
to carry their ])apei-s in that way and also 
because it is said the second cbarter, al)out 
twentv years later, eanie in such a box. 

A word about tbe cost of the charter. The 
first Assembly, in 1()47, voted one hundred 
pounds to Roger Williams "in regard of his 
so great travaile, charges and good endeav- 



ADDRESS OF .TT'DUE STIXKSS. 41 

ors."^ Mr. ( 'oddiii^iitun in a letter appended 
to "Fire-Brand (Quenched," said: ''He is 
Hired for money and i^cts a Patent from 
\j)uu: I'ai'liament/' Williams himself says, 
in a letter wi'itten in lO-Sl,- " Xo charters are 
obtained without lireat suit, favor or charges. 
( )ur first cost one hundred ])ounds (though I 
never received it all.) ( )ur second about a 
thousand, Connecticut about six thousand." 
It is evident from this that Williams's mo- 
tives were not mercenary. The pittance of 
one hundred pounds was not voted until 
three years after his return, and it was three 
years more before any of it was paid. Then 
the Assembly voted ^ to pay Mr. Williams 
the one hundred ])ounds, "now due" and 
another hundred [)ounds if he would go 

1 11. I. Col. Rcc. Vol. 1, p. 151. 

^ Letter to Daniel Abbott. Publicatious of NaiTugiiusett Clul), 
Vol. G, p. 402. 

3 R. I. Col. Rec., Vol. 1, p. 231. 



42 rUoVIDEXCE COUNTY COURT HOUSE. 

again to England to obtain a confirniation of 
tlic cliavtcr from Cromwell, who bad tbcn 
come into power. 

No proceedings were bad under tlie eliarter 
until Jnnc, 1647, nearly tbree years after its 
reception. Prof (lamniell, in bis "Life of 
Roger Williams," gives these reasons foi- the 
delay: ''Many local (piestions were to be de- 
cide(l and jarring interests barmoni/,e(l. He- 
sides this, the distracted state of atiairs in 
England ci"eated ])arty divisions among the 
colonists of America. In this way tlie hopes 
and ])lans of ^Fr. Williams were deferred.''^ 
.Vniong the (piestions to be decided was, 
doubtless, that of the policy of liberty of 
conscience. Had the colony been largei". it 
is by no means certain that such a policy 
could have been first exeiuplitied here. 

It is beyond the i)resent purpose to con- 

' Giiinimirs Life of Roger Williams, j). 12-1. 



Ai)i)in;ss OF juixiE stixkss. 43 

sidcr the organization of tlie colony nnder 
tlic cliartcr. Tlio (U'lay of tlio i)eo[)le to 
niako use of it, until they weiv ready to do 
so, does not at all detract from the import- 
ance of the fact that it had l)een ol)tained. 

Neither does the fact that, twenty years 
later, — when a l^tiiart was again in)on the 
tin-one, when the acts of the Long Parlia- 
ment were ignored and the time of its power 
treated as an interregnum, — our people came 
to the conclusion that Charles IT. would look 
with litth^ favor upon a colony that held its 
tenure from such a source, and therefore 
sought and ohtained another charter from 
the royal hand. It was still the instrument 
1)V which the colony had heen united and 
protected, recognized and respected, and un- 
der which its policy had heen shaped, ft 
should he renu'mhered and venerated, as the 
corner-stone of the State. 

To this hasty review of the procurement of 



44 im;<)Vtf)i:\<I': (•••ixiv couiit iioi'sk. 

tlic cliartcr, jx't'iiiit iiic to add a sn<i<i('sti<)ii or 
two; lirst, as to Williams liimsclf. and second 
as to the ri'sidt wliicli he a('coni])lisli('d. 

The facts referred to show the niaj^iianini- 
ity of the man. An attemi)t has lately l)een 
made to justify the authorities of ^lassachu- 
setts in the sentence of banislinient, upon tlie 
*iround that Williams was a contentious \n'V- 
son, "a suhverter of the very foundations of 
^li'overnment/"^ and "a nuisance which it 
seemed to them they had no alternative hut 
to abate, in some way safe to them and kind- 
est to him." 

That he entered with much zest into the 
theological discussions common to his time, 
and upheld his opinions, on any suhject. with 
vitjorous enthusiasm and in u'ood set terms, 
we all know. Jlis writings are so laru'ely 
polemic that we have fallen into the no- 

• As Id KoiiiT Williams, Ity Henry Miirtin l)c'.\ter, I). D., pp. 
7}», SO. 



ADDRESS OF JUDOE STINESS. 45 

tion tliat lie was a wliiiusieal, crotelietv man. 
But tliis, I tliink, is wrong. However small 
and insignificant many of the matters al)Out 
which he argued now look, through the vista 
of two centuries, we must remember that 
they were real differences and were the same 
that stirred the ])eo])le of old as well as of 
New England. It was a period of ecclesias- 
tical controversy, and Williams simply dealt 
witli tlic living issues of his day. His acts 
showe<l the man. ])anished from Massachu- 
setts, in the next year, still smarting from a 
sense of injustice, he risked his life to save 
that and the other colonies from an Indian 
alliance to exterminate them ; going into the 
camp of the conspiracy, and, by personal 
})ersuasion, thwarting the fearful scheme. 
When, in return for this, Gov. AYinthrop pro- 
posed that the sentence of banishment be 
recalled, not only was this refused, but exas- 
perating eftbrts were made to bring the place 



I(> i'i;<»vi i)i:.\<i-; (oixtv corirr ikh'sk. 

of liis rcfuiic witliiii tlic power of liis per- 
secutors. Ignored as an outlaw, wlieii tlie 
colonists united foi- mutual defence, and fore- 
stalled in Ins attempt to secure a eliai'tei'. he, 
nevertheless, "tenderly wai\'e(l to touch a 
foot of land " claimed from the con(piest 
which his iniiuence had made possihle; l)ut. 
on the contrary, as he "judged inoflensively,'' 
he drew ''oui- poor ajid inconsideralile line" 
for "a })atch of ground." Could greater re- 
gard for the claims of othei's have ]»een 
shown; or greater care taken to avoid a con- 
ti'oversy with his neighbors? ('ould there 
liave heen less of \-indicti veness or of self- 
assertion? Beside magnanimous acts like 
these no charge of petty (piari'elsomeness 
can stand. Indeed, at no time did Wil- 
liams seek a (|uari'el with those aroun<l 
him. and the woist that can he said is that, 
lii'm in the right, as ( iod gave him to see the 
riuiit. he was ever I'eadv sturdilv to maintain 



ADDRESS OF JVDGE STIXESS. 47 

his cause. We aliuost wonder at the man 
who woukl risk liis life for a eoloiiy that liad 
banislicd liini; and who, annoyed in liis |)os- 
sessions, waived the elianee to extend them 
with safety. In view of these faets tlie 
charges before quoted are as unwarrantable 
as they are unjust, and partake more of 
the spirit of tlie scold than of tlie liistorian, 
Massachusetts needs no sucli vindication. 
Her magistrates were h(jnest, sincere and 
conscientious men. Their course was con- 
sistent with tlieir tlieory of government. 
They treated others, wlio would not Ije caHed 
brawk'rs, just as they (hd WiUiams. If their 
course was ill-judged and narrow, as we now 
look upon it, the fault was not so much in 
the magistrates as in the times. Williams 
was simply in advance of the ideas of his age 
and, like most social reformers, met with op- 
position and persecution. People have been 
much misled by the lines of Mrs. Hemans : 



48 I'KOVIDKNCK colNTV CoIRT lIolSK. 

"They left uustaiued what there they found, 
Freedom to woi-ship God." 

The rm-itaiis did ii,,t c,,,,),. to this couiitry 
to ostal.Iish fivcdoin of worsliip f,,,- (.very 
mail, accord in- to liis own idea: hut onlv 
to find for tlicnisclvcs tliat fivcdom to wor- 
sliij), after tlicir own form and notion wliich 
^'"'>' *'i<l ""t 'iiid in Kn-laud. Williams, 
tlioiii^h witli tliein, was not of tliem. in tliis 
ivspect. He sought a hir-'er Iil)erty. In l)aii- 
i.sliing him and others tliey followed out their 
system, and it is abundantly evident that 
what tliey did was in consequence of it. It 
IS therefoiv neither necessary nor fair to re- 
sort to vitu])erative char-es to justify tlieir 
action. Happily for the reputation of Wil- 
liams, his conduct exhihits a ma-naninious 
rather than a contentious spii-it. 

The next suggestion is in regard to the 
statesmanship of AVilliams. I have heard it 
said that the development of a government 



ADDRESS OF JUDGE STINESS. 49 

in which there shoukl be an absolute freedom 
of conscience, consistent with civil order, Avas 
accidental, rather than intentional, on his 
part. If liis design was to form a govern- 
ment of this sort, he should rank Avith the 
most lil)eral and wisest of statesmen. What 
is the evidence? Upon his arrival at Boston 
he refused to unite witli the church, declar- 
ing that the magistrate had no right to pun- 
ish violations of the tirst four of the ten 
commandments, except as they disturbed the 
civil peace. ^ He taught the same doctrine at 
Plymouth and KSalem. This was the first of 
the charges brought against him by the Gen- 
eral Court, in October, 1635,'-^ and his banish- 
ment for this cause is clearly implied by 
reference to his ''dangerous opinions" in the 
vote,^ as well as in the charges where this is 

1 Wiuthrop, Vol. 1, p. 53. IIub1)ard, Mass. Hist. Coll., 2cl 
Series, Vol. 5, p. 203. 

2 Wiuthrop, Vol. 1, p. 162. 

3 Records of Mass. Vol. 1, p. 160. 

7 



-■)() i'KOVIDKNCE COUNTY ("OIKT HOUSE. 

the first one specified. Arrived at Provi- 
dence, tlio first recorded agreement was for 
town-fellowship " only in civil things." The 
charter which he obtained was for a "form 
of civil government," and the code of laws 
enacted under it consistent with the policy 
thus foreshadowed by Williams, had the 
same limitation.^ His settlement at Provi- 
dence was, from the first, free in religious 
matters, offered as a " shelter for th(jse dis- 
tressed for conscience";^ while the compacts 
of Portsmouth and Newport required the set- 
tlers to be Christians and to he governed by 
the word of God.^ To all this may be added 
numerous passages in his letters and writings, 
insisting upon this principle from the earliest 
to the last. This chain of evidence is too 
eontiiiuous to l)e accidental. That Williams 

1 R. I. Col. Rec, Vol. 1, p. 156, et scq. 

2 R. I. Col. Rec, Vol. 1, p. 22. 

s R. I. Col. Rec, Vol. 1, pp. 53 and 90. 



ADDRESS OF JUDGE STINESS. 51 

did not, at first, contemplate founding a col- 
ony may be true. His own words indicate 
that he had thoughts of living as a mission- 
ary with the Indians. "My soul's desire was 
to do the natives good, and to that end to 
have their language, (which I afterwards 
printed,) and therefore desired not to be 
troubled with English company."^ Out of. 
pity he permitted some to join him. 

Knowles says:^ "It seems then that his 
original design was to come alone, probably 
to dwell among the Indians, and to do them 
good; but he altered his plan, and resolved 
to estal)lish a refuge for those who might 
tlee from persecution. The project was his 
own, and worthy his generous and liberal 
mind." 

Evidently from the first he comprehended 

1 R. Williams to Court of Commissioners, Nov. 17, 1677. 
R. I. Hist. Tracts, No. 14, p. 52. 

2 Memoir of Roger Williams, p. 108. 



52 PKOVIDENCE OOrXTY COT'RT HOT'SE. 

the idea which lie subsequently put into ac- 
tive operation. Thus he (lisj)laye<l the wise 
forecast which proves the quality of a states- 
man. His policy is best set forth in his own 
strong- words: 

" There goes man}' a ship to sea, with many a hundred 
souls iu one ship, whose weal and wo is common, and is 
a true picture of a commonwealth, or an human combi- 
nation or society. It hath fallen out sometimes, that 
both Papists and Protestants, Jews and Turks may be 
embarked into one ship. Upon which supposal, I do 
afBrm, that all the liberty of conscience tliat I ever 
pleaded for, turns upon these two hinges, that none of 
the Papists, Protestants, Jews, or Turks, be forced to 
come to the ship's prayers or worship ; nor secondly, 
compelled from their own particular prayers or worship, 
if they practice any. I further add, that I never denied, 
that notwithstanding this liberty, the commander of this 
ship ought to command the ship's course ; yea, and also 
to command that justice, peace and sobriety be kept aud 
practised, both among the seamen and all the passengers. 
If any seaman refuse to perform their service, or passeu- 



ADDRESS OF JUDGE STINESS. 53 

gers to pay their freight ; if any refuse to help in person 
or purse, towards the common charges, or defence ; if 
any refuse to obey the common laws and orders of the 
ship, concerning their common peace and preservation ; 
if any shall mutiny and rise up against their commanders 
and officers ; if any shall preach or write, that there 
ought to be no commanders nor officers, because all are 
equal in Christ, therefore no masters nor officers, no laws 
nor orders, no corrections nor punishment — I say I 
never denied but in such cases, whatever is pretended, 
the commander or commanders may judge, resist, com- 
pel and punish such transgressors according to their 
deserts and merits." ' 

The importance of the resuh accomplished 
by Williams can hardly be over-stated. We 
need not stop to inquire whether he origina- 
ted or first puljlished the doctrine of liberty 
of conscience. Bancroft gives him the credit 
of it in strong and eloquent terms.^ But it 
would not be strange if others had thought 

1 Pub. Niirr. Chib, 6, p. 278. 

2 Hist, of U. S., Vol. 1, p. 298, ceuteuuary ed. 



54 PROVIDENCE COUNTY COURT HOUSE. 

of it before. It is enough to know that he 
was the first to put it into "lively experi- 
ment.'' Tlie man who does that is accorded 
the credit and riglits of discovery. To Watt 
is commonly ascribed the invention of the 
steam-engine. He made the experiments l>y 
which it was In-ought into general operation ; 
but he neither discovered the properties of 
steam, nor made the first machine for its use. 
Physicians before Harvey may have con- 
ceived the idea of tlie circulation of tlie 
blood ; but to him, wlio was the first to 
demonstrate its truth, is given the honor of 
discovery. The priority of Morse's inven- 
tion of tlie telegraph was (lis})uted ; but as 
he, by "lively experiment," first gave to it 
practical utility, he has l)een honored, in 
both continents, as its inventor. The colony 
of Rhode Island agreed to organize upon 
the principle which Williams had all along 
maintained. His fellow-settlers had the good 



ADDRESS OF JUDGE STINESS. 00 

sense to see that it was reasonable, practical 
and just. Like Watt, perhaj^s, they little 
thought they were building a model, which, 
in its essential principle, would long, if not 
always, afterwards be followed. 

It is true that during the maintenance of 
the edict of Nantes, freedom of worship was 
allowi'd to Protestants in France, and they 
were eligible to civil office ; but it was not a 
complete and absolute freedom. There were 
restrictions on worship and education ; tithes 
were to be paid to the priesthood of the es- 
tablished church and its festivals observed. 
The situation of Protestants was that of a 
tolerated sect, rather than that of an equal 
and independent class of citizens. The edict 
was a bond that held together two discordant 
elements and not a union that mingled them 
in one. Wise and liberal as it was, it fell far 
short of the Rhode Island idea of a state in 
which there should be unrestricted religious 



50 1'J{()V1J)KNCE COUNTY COURT HOUSE. 

liberty. It reached towards it l)iit did not 
grasp it. 

As Williariis said:^ "Our cliarter exc^els 
all ill Now Eiii;laiid or rti the world as to the 
souls of men.''' Here tlien, in Rhode Ishmd, 
was first set uj) tlie novel system of a purely 
civil government, with no yoke of religious 
doctrine uj)on its su]))ects. It was not the 
adversary, hut the han(hnaid of religion. It 
gave to civil authoritv and religious teachiuii' 
each its proper sphere. The colony was too 
feeble and t(^o little known for its new de- 
parture to attract attention or to make any 
stir in the great Avorld. But it was the little 
leaven that was to leaven the whole lump of 
civilization. It was the germ that was ((uietly 
to grow and sj)read its roots until it should 
spring up in every connnon wealth of the 
land, and in tinu! scatter its seed across the 

> LetkT to Diuiiel Abljott, Pub. Niirr. Club, Vol. 0, p. 402. 



ADDRESS OF JUDGE STINESS. 57 

ocean amoiip; tlic^ monarchies of the oki 
world. Tlie principle is now so universally 
recognized and adopted that men have lost 
sight of its origin. Tlie absorbing interests 
of tlie prescnit tend to shut out all but the 
most prominent facts of the past. Mankind 
to-day receive the benefit of the " lively ex- 
periment " made by Williams, little knowing 
and, perliaps, little caring Avhence it came. 
Let us of Rliode Island, however, ever re- 
member and honor the service that he ren- 
dered to the State, the country and his fellow- 
men. Let us take just pride in the fact that 
Rhode Island first demonstrated that "a most 
flourishing civil state may stand and best be 
maintained with a full liberty in religious 
concernments."^ Let us bear in mind that 
freedom and toleration in civilized govern- 
ments of the present day have sprung from 

' Charter of R. I., grauted iu 16(33. 



58 PKOVIDE.NCE CUUXTY COLKT HOUSE. 

tliat wliicli was organized in lliis " patcli of" 
iiTouiid" under tlie eliartei' of H')43. 

In admiration of the flower let us not 
forget the seed. 



Governor Bourn introclucej:! as the next speaker Gen- 
eral Horatio Rogers, who spoke as follows : 



ADDRESS Of GEN. HORATIO ROGERS. 



THE IMPORTANCE OP THE CIIARTEU OF 1648-4. 

The value of historical paintings in prom- 
inent public places by awakening interest in 
tlie subject represented, finds fresh illustration 
in the picture recently unveiled in this build- 
ing. That awakened interest has already 
caused, and, for years to come, will continue 
to cause many to inquire into the significance 
of the event referred to in that painting, who, 
but for some such object appealing to their 
eyes, would scarcely remember, if indeed, 
they would ever have known, how much 
Rhode Island owes to the charter of 1643-4, 



60 ]M{()VTI)KX("K rorXTY rOT'RT HOl'SK. 

and to Roger Williams, the ftither of tlie col- 
ony, for his services in obtaining it. 

The special point proposed to be dwch on 
in these remarks, is the importance of tliat 
charter to this State; for it seems to lun'e 
been tlie sjieet-anchor of the feeble little col- 
ony — the Imlwark that preserved it from 
being overwhelmed by what the General As- 
sembly of l()o9 called ''our sister collony's 
anger against us." Dwelling upon a jxMut 
seemingly so apparent, would hardly have 
suggested itself had not this court house 
picture called forth from some beholders, ex- 
pressions derogatory to the importance of the 
event it commemorates, by magnifying the 
influence of the charter of MMVA to the dis- 
paragement of that of the charter of l()4o-4. 

An event to be adequately aj^jM-eciated. 
must be viewed with its surroundings ; hence 
we must sunnnon to our minds what was 
trans])iring in the })rimitive days of our 



ADDRESS OF (JENERAL ROGERS. 61 

colonial existence. The earliest settlers of 
these plantations were wanderers, exiles, out- 
casts. "I was unkindly and unchristianly, 
as I believe," wrote Roger Williams, in 1670, 
"driven from my house and land and wife 
and children, (in the midst of a New Eng- 
land winter, now al^out 35 years past,) at 
Salem. ''' '•' I steered my course from Sa- 
lem (though in winter snow, which I feel 
yet) unto these parts, wherein I may say 
Peniel, that is, I have seen the face of God." 
His hasty flight into the wilderness alone 
prevented his being transported to England, 
for his l)rother christians of New England, 
the godly men of Massachusetts Bay, were 
less tolerant than savage heathen, and less 
charitable than godless red-men, though they 
would have resented with scorn the insinua- 
tion that Canonicus, Miantonomi, Massasoit, 
and other unbaptized and unregenerate In- 
dians were better exemplars of some of 



02 I'UoviDExrE rorxTY cornT hot'se. 

Clirist's precepts than tlicy. FiKlccd our 
early settlers were (l()ul»ly exiled; (irst. IVoiii 
tlie civilization of OUl England, and then 
from the civilization of New England, for 
though Massachusetts Bay was the only col- 
ony that formally hanislKMl Koocr Williams. 
yet, when fleeing iVom its wi-atli he settled 
at Seekonk, the (rovernor of Plymouth no- 
tified him, to use his own words, •'since I 
was fallen into the edge of their hounds, and 
they were loath to displease the Day, to re- 
move to the other side of the water." ( )ur 
earliest settlers descrihe their condition in 
this wise, when addressing Richard ('I'om- 
well, the Lord Protector, in KkV,), for a con- 
firmation of their charter: — "May it i)lease 
)'our highness to know that this })oore collo- 
ny of Providence Plantations mostly consists 
of a hirth and hreedinge of the [)rovidence 
of the most high; wee beinge an outcast peo- 
ple, formerly from our mother nations in 



ADDRESS OF (iEXERAL ROGERS. 63 

the Bislioj)'s daies, and since from tlie rest of 
the new English over zealous collonys." 

Portsmouth and Newport were likewise 
peopled by the children of oppression of 
Massachusetts Bay. Tliese three settlements 
were merely voluntary associations of indi- 
viduals, and Roger Williams said, " we had 
no authority for civil government." The 
government of Providence, especially, was a 
simple ('onii)act, and when the passions of 
party became too strongly excited to admit 
of any arbitration but force, it was utterly 
ineffectual to preserve the public peace. The 
tumults growing out of Samuel Gorton's 
c(^nduct proved well nigh fatal to the settle- 
ment, for the inhabitants being divided in 
opinion and feeling, there Avas no superior 
jjower to control the disturbers of the public 
peace. In this exigency some of the Aveaker 
party, in November, 1642, had recourse to 
the strange, and, as it proved, most disastrous 



64 PROVIDENCE COUNTY COURT HOUSE. 

expedient of applying to Massachusetts for 
aid and counsel. For inhabitants of Provi- 
dence to apply to Massachusetts for aid and 
counsel within six years of the banishment 
of Roger Williams from that colony. Avas 
very like lambs invoking the aid of the wolf 
to compose differences in their fold. To this 
preposterous request for aid and counsel Mas- 
sachusetts declined to send aid, because, as 
they said, " they could not levy any war 
without a general court"; and, ''for counsel, 
that except they did submit themselves to 
some jurisdiction, either Plymouth, pr ours, 
we had no calling or warrant to interpose in 
their contentions, but if they were once sub- 
ject to any, then they had a calling to protect 
them." A little later tour of the i)riiK'ipal 
inhabitants of Pawtuxet offered themselves 
and their lands to the government and i)ro- 
tection of Massachusetts, and were received 
by the General Court and appointed justices 



ADDRESS OF GENERAL ROGERS. 65 

of the peace. The motives of the General 
Court were stated l^y the Governor to be 
"partly to secure these men from unjust vio- 
lence, and [)artly to draw in the rest in those 
parts, eitlier luider ourselves or Plymouth, 
who now lived under no government, but 
grew very otiensive, and the place was likely 
to be of use to us, especially if we should 
have occasion of sending out against any 
Indians of Narragansett, and likewise for an 
outlet into the Narragansett Bay, and seeing 
it came without our seeking, and would be 
no charge to us, we thought it not wisdom 
to let it slip." 

The next step in Massachusetts aggression 
was to write a letter ''to our neighbours of 
Providence," dated the 28th of the 8th mo., 
1642, wherein, after stating that William 
Arnold and others have put themselves un- 
der their protection, they use this language, 
"and have since complained to us that you 



66 PROVIDENCE COUNTY COURT HOUSE. 

have since (upon pretence of a late purchase 
from the Indians) gone about to deprive 
thuni of their hiwful interest confirmed by 
four years' possession, and otherwise to mo- 
lest them; Ave thought good, therefore, to 
write to you on their behalf to give you no- 
tice, that they and their lands, &c., being 
under our jurisdiction, we are to maintain 
them in their lawful rights. If, tlierefore, 
you have any just title to anything you pos- 
sess, you may proceed against them in our 
court, where you shall have equal justice ; 
but if you shall proceed to any violence, you 
must not blame us, if we shall take a like 
course to right them." \n early result of 
this action by Massachusetts was that Sam- 
uel Gorton and ten others were arrested, car- 
ried to Boston, and imprisoned. 

Verily, the wolf had intruded itself into 
the fold, and Massachusetts, without any 
decent pretext whatsoever — for the four ap- 



ADDRESS OF GENERAL ROGERS. G7 

plicants for aid and counsel could confer no 
jurisdiction — made aggression upon the de- 
fenceless settlement of the very men it had 
banished six years before, and proposed to 
have them submit to Massachusetts courts 
for hiw and justice. It can hardly ]je won- 
dered at that this action caused Roger Wil- 
liams and Ids associates great uneasiness. 

But tins was not the sole exhibition of 
dislike and ill will towards the Rhode Island 
settlements. When the four New England 
colonies associated themselves togetlier as the 
United Colonies of New England, for their 
mutual protection against the Indians and 
others, the settlements around Narragansett 
Bay were not admitted, the excuse being that 
they had no charter. This was an excuse, 
however, and not a reason, for after a char- 
ter had been obtained, the exclusion still 
continued. 

All these evidences of grasping aggression 



(jf> PROVIDENCE COUNTY COURT HOUSE. 

and scttliMl ill-will on tlic ])art of their noiti-li- 
bors, riMjuirod some prompt and decided ac- 
tion by the Narra^'ansett J^ay settlements if 
they meant to preserve an independent exist- 
ence; and yielding their independence in- 
volved the abandonment of that priceless 
freedom of conscience which had been so 
})ainfully sought in the wilderness in hard- 
ship, exile, and peril. Truly the great prin- 
ciple of soul liberty was trembling in the 
balance. Governor Arnold, in his History 
of Rhode Island, tluis sums up the reasons 
for seeking the charter of l()43-4 : — "To 
strengthen their position at home, to for- 
tify tliemselves against encroachments from 
abroad, and above all to secure the enjoyment 
of that libci'ty of conscience for which they 
had suffered so much and were destined to 
endure still more, they sought from tlie Ih'it- 
ish Parliament a charter which should I'ecog- 
nize their acts of self-u'overnment as leiial. 



ADDRESS OF GENERAL ROGERS. 69 

and invest with the sanction of authority 
the novel experiment they had commenced. 
The movement was made by the coh))iy at 
Acquedneck. Providence united in it, and 
Roger Williams was selected as the agent." 
The beneficent effect of the procurement 
of the cliarter was immediately apparent, for 
Roger Williams, wlio had been forced to eni- 
l)ark at New York in a Dutch ship for Eng- 
land because Massachusetts would not permit 
liim to pass through her limits or to take 
passage in one of her vessels, boldly landed 
at Boston on his return, bearing the govern- 
ment's recognition of his settlements, and a 
letter of recommendation of his own person. 
Roger Williams's previous admission " that 
we had no authority for civil government," 
henceforth had no foundation, and this is his 
testimony of the effect of the charter: "And 
upon this, the country about us was more 
friendlv, and wrote to us, and treated us as 



70 iMjoviDKNf'K ("orxTV cocRT irorsE. 

an authorized colony ; only the differences 
of our consciences much ol)structed." Tlu^ 
evil wisliers of Massac) uisetts Bay could no 
longer urge, as the)^ had formerly done, 
that the Narragansett Bay settlements "now 
lived under no government"; and brighter 
times dawned for the newly chartered 
colon}?". 

The charter of l()4.')-4 was a full and abso- 
lute charter of civil govcrnmrnt, and all suf- 
ficient for the needs of the colony. Its grant 
of })<)wer was ample and adequate, its pro- 
curement was to the feeble settlements con- 
tending with the grasping aggressions of 
powerful neighbors, like the recognition of 
a struggling people by a nation so mighty as 
to insure them safety and protection. Had 
not the charter of lG4.')-4 been ()l)taiiuMl, it 
is hardly probable that the aggressions of 
Massachusetts could ha\'e been successful 1}'^ 
resisted Ibi- twentv years loiuier. and so the 



ADDEESS OF GENERAL ROGERS. 71 

charter of l(3(5o would probably never have 
been granted. Far be it from me to detract 
from the instrument under which Rhode Isl- 
and lived and prospered for a hundred and 
eighty 3^ears, but the charter of 1663 was prac- 
tically only confirmatory of that of 1643-4, 
and so the commission to John Clarke, dated 
October 18, 1660, authorizing its procurement, 
clearly intended it to be ; for it will be remem- 
bered that the Long Parliament, under which 
the charter of 1643-4 was granted, and the 
Commonwealth, had been swept away, and 
the Stuarts were again seated on the throne 
of England. The second charter construes, 
defines, and amplifies the first, and is as pro- 
lix and verbose as the other is brief and sim- 
ple. Governmental affairs in the colony were 
crude and inchoate at the granting of the first 
charter; they had been crystalized into form 
at the granting of the second ; and much was 
put into the second which, nevertheless, ex- 



t'2 PKOVIDENCE COUXTY COl'KT HOUSE. 

isted l)v law under authority of the first, con- 
spicuously, freedom of conscience. 

Such, in our view, was the ini[)ortanco of 
the charter of l()4:o-4 ; and no more happy 
selection could have been made for the sub- 
ject of a historical paintiiii;- for the Courts of 
Law in the chief city of this commomvcalth, 
than its recei)tion on our shores. Fortunately 
Roger Williams is the central figure, for, in a 
double sense, he was the founder of the State. 
When, an outcast and a wanderer, he landed 
here in 163G, he planted the settlement ; but 
when he procured the charter of 1043-4, he 
founded the colony. It is no wonder, there- 
fore, that the people of Providence flocked 
across* the river to welcome home the fore- 
most man among them, triumpliantly return- 
ing with a charter from wliich so mucli was 
hoped and so much was realized, for Rhode 
Island, in IGOo, liad become, in the words of 
the second charter, a ''lively c.qjerinu')it'\- but, 



ADDRESS OF GENERAL ROGERS. 73 

in 1048-4, it was onl}', in the language of the 
first charter, a ''Jiojxfid heginning ''' * ivldch 
may in tiine, by the blessing of God urpon their 
endeavors, lay a surer foundation of happiness 
to all America.'' 



The Rev. Frederic Denison was then introduced to the 
audience and I'cad the following poem : 

10 



POEM BY REV. FREDERIC DENIgON. 



TRUTH S TOIL AND TKIUMPH. 

Truth's toil ami triumph be our song, 
With meed to helpers due ; 

The extirpation of the wroug, 
The planting of the true. 

Truth, angel-like, its life imparts 
To men by Heaven's decree ; 

Sincerely welcomed to our hearts, 
It sets our natures free. 

A lily in a mummy's hand, 
Survives a thousand years ; 

Truth slumbered in our fatherland, 
But here in strength appears. 



I'lJOVIDEXrE COUNTY COUKT PIOU8E, 

When exiled feet, for truth opposed, 

The darkened foiest trod, 
The issue of the way disclosed 

The s2;uidino hand of God. 

In thought and conscience men were bound 

By code of monarchy : 
And preachers, priest-like, blessed and ci'owned 

The old theocracy. 

Stern magistrates, in blinded zeal, 

Assumed divine control, 
And, un(hn- plea of public weal. 

Forged fetters for the soul. 

With jail and gibbet hedged they in 

The ark and grace of God, 
While hard, on what they counted sin. 

They laid the legal rod. 

The stroke they dealt had strong rebound 

To higher raise the right. 
To kindle on barl)aric ground 

A new and radiant liuht. 



POEM BY REV. FREDERIC DENISOX. 77 

He whom they banished loviug turned 

To men in pagan gloom, 
And, in his gracious mission, earned 

For outcast truth a home. 

The new seed fell in virgin soil 

Where, welcomed with " what-cheer," 

No thorny bigotry might foil * 

The filling of the ear. 

Tiie pagan monarch showed him grace 

That brothers had denied. 
And gave him, in the wilderness, 

Plantations by his side. 

How wonderful, a heatlien king, 

By the Great Spirit moved, 
Should pay so rich an offering 

To truth of Heaven approved. 

Wrought by a gifted painter's hands, 

The deed of that kind king- 
To-day on speaking canvass stands. 

Art's choicest offering. 



7<S PKt)Vll)K.\('E COUNTY COURT H(JUSE. 

Here truth's apostle built his state, 
Uulike what meu had kuovvu, 

That clothed with power the magistrate 
"lu civil things alone." 

Assailed by foes, he crossed the sea 

Aud from the Lion's paw 
Obtained a patent, broad and free, 

To guard his christian law. 

Thus shielded by the English throne. 

The Bay JState w'ilds retrod, 
He bade his battied foes to own 

The Providence of God. 

Through all his perilled settlement 

Exultant sped the news. 
And swift ou Seekonk's breast was sent 

The squadron of canoes. 

Triumphant welcome he received ; 

Joy filled each heart and home ; 
A crowning laljor was achieved ; 

Back rolled the cloud of gloom. 



POEM BY REV. FREDERIC DENLSON. 79 

That charter first the boundaries reared 

Around the infant state ; 
Henceforth its jealous rivals feared 

To breathe their bitter hate. 

It gave the colony its name, 

Its sword and shield of law, 
To common sovereignty its claim, 

To courts their mace of awe. 

As some bold cape defies the sea 

And breaks its billowing rage, 
Truth's champion stood for libertj' — 

The leader of his age. 

Men poured on liim their obloquj', 

And laughed his scheme to scorn ; 
Yet of that scorned fraternity 

Our nation's hope was born. 

So let it pass from lip to lip 

And be our boast for aye, 
That Freedom's anchor first took grip 

In Narragansett Bay. 



80 PKOVIDKXCE COUNTY COUKT HOUSE. 

Yet leaders win but little praise 
Who step o'er ancient bounds ; 

So hard it is for men to raise 
Their aims to loftier grounds. 

The toiler had his doubts, l)otimes, 
To what his tilth would grow, 

Such aliens came from other climes 
Their vexing tares to sow. 

Behold him stand defiantly, 
Confronting power and pride. 

And deal such blows to l)igotry ' 
It i)in('d away and died. 

His brow no conqueror's wreath obtained. 

He cared not for a name ; 
Yet serving otlicrs. justly gained 

The nolilest niche of fame. 

The si)ring from which he (b-ank still Mows 

Within the city's heart. 
And, honored now, his image glows 

Heneath the hand of art. 



POEM BY REV. FREDERIC DENI80X. 81 

Devoted to humanity. 

Long let his life l)e told ; 
He left our hind a legacy 

Unmeasured by our gold. 

What faith he held, we hold allied 

With holiest beliefs, 
While high his statue stands beside 

Our nation's greatest chiefs. 

Thus, proud, Rhode Island claims the hand 

Of Williams on l»er scroll, 
And holds her hills the cradle-land 

Of liberty of soul. 

A little State, but well she tills 

Fler tome of history, 
Her reigning city holds the hills. 

Her queen sits by the sea. 

Here only, on the earth's wide face, 
Con Id such free thought take root, 
Uplifting heavenward boughs of grace 

With golden clustered fruit. 
11 



82 PROVIDENCE COUNTY COURT HOUSE. 

Alone, for more than seven score years. 

Our State for freedom stood, 
And held, unmoved by biting jeers, 

Her code of lirolherhood. 

That law, at last, was set on higli 

r.y revolution's right — 
The star of our republic's sky, 

A continent to light. 

"When revolution's morning liroke, 
Here boomed the opening gun ; 

When struck that shot the British oak. 
Aloft our Mag was run. 

To rend the galling tyrant yoke 

And win the rights of man, 
Here lirst a legislature spoke 

And led the l)attle-van. 

For world-renowned achievements won 

In that great battle-scene. 
Close with our peerless Washington 

Stood our illustrious (Ireene. 



POEM ]?Y REV. FREDERIC DEXISON. 83 

And when rebellion's armies rose, 

Our State, with courage wont, 
Full girt to (leal to treason blows, 

Pressed swiftly to the front. 

That strife fierce raged o'er all our land, 

The truth in fire was tried, 
But Heaven u[)held the loyal hand, 

And slavery writhed and died. 

The battle-storin and tempest past. 

In Freedom's waters calm, 
Our well tried anchor holding fast. 

We lift to heaven our psalm. 

Inspiring truth, again coufest, 

That right, at last, prevails ; 
God's mountains on tiieir roek-beds rest, 

Despite opposing gales. 

The ancients dreamed of far-off isles 

With golden-appled trees : 
Our toiling fathers made these wilds 

The true Hesperides. 



(S4 pKoviDKXcK ("orxTY coruT irorsE. 

But never breadth, or wealth, of ground. 

Or soft and sunny skies, 
Can make a commonwealth renowned : 

In man the virtiu' lies : — 

In man, who fells the tangled wild, 
Who plows the stubborn soil, 

Who, where the sun has never smiled. 
Brings in the sun, l)y toil : 

In man. of nolile character, 

Of kingliness of soul. 
Who holds Ood's mandates to confer 

A u'lad. supreme control. 

The truth bestows victorious power, 
And weaves a fadeless crown ; 

Ordained with riglit the eartli to dower, 
It casts all evil down. 

Tiu'oned on these mountains of tlu' west. 

The truth Heaven-crowned, shall leigu : 
Her eagle spurns the despot-crest. 

Her tlau allows no stain . 



POEM I5Y REV. EREDERIC DENISON. 85 

Truth never to oppression yields, 

Predestined, in her day, 
To win, on all her battle fields, 

Triumphant, peaceful sway. 

Truth, victor-clad with God's defense, 

Shall hail earth's freedom won 
Ere from her mountain battlements 

Shall sound the sun-set oun. 



At the conclusion of the services, which were listened 
to with [)rofound attention and great interest, the audi- 
ence retired to the grand jury room, where a collation 
was served under direction of the legislative committee, 
after which the assemblage dispersed. 



GONTENTS. 



Frontispiece. Page. 

Introductory Note, ....... 5 

Report of the Couiuiissioners, .... 7 

Resolutions relative to visit of General Assembly to 

the Court House, . . . . . .11 

Address of Hon. John H. Stiness, . . . .13 

Address of Gen. Honitio Rogers, . . .59 

Poem by Rev. Frederic Denison, . . . .75 

Tail-piece. 



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